Then Barbara Met Alan

This punky and extraordinary film about disability rights activism in the early 90s told through the romance between Barbara Lisicki and Alan Holdsworth is brimming with wild confidence and subversive energy. In its brisk 67 minutes it doesn't quite manage the character depth of similar recent-history protest biopics but what it lacks in structure it makes up for in a winning sense of authenticity. Not just with an extraordinary cast that involves many of the activists themselves - but with a style that uses a smart collage of contemporary footage with analogue recording. There really is a feeling that this is a protest story told by protestors - with all the hope and futility, all the fire and creativity that this entails. It feels like more of an explosive primer than a history lesson, and it feels like it arrived at the exact right time.

Ruth Madeley makes the film definitely. The story is so important as Alan and Barbra deserve to be known and the story isn't over. Its a beautiful film even if it is just a summery.

An interesting film. I remember the protests and angry, aggressive people. It's a shame that's what it takes to get your point across: the disability rights act should have been around years back.

The actress playing Barbara is fantastic, actually all the cast are. I didn't enjoy the footage of the protests, I can understand their anger but boy are they nasty.

I hope those involved in Direct Action realise that they cannot get to 'all corners of the world'. Many of our wonderful Victorian/Edwardian buildings just aren't built of wheelchair access, and most aren't suitable to have a ramp. I recall a protestor in my home town complaining she couldn't get her wheelchair up the steps of the beautiful Victorian bank - to me this was plain daft and unnecessary. Bank elsewhere! My friend experienced a wheelchair user turning up at her small Guest House - she hadn't informed anyone on booking that she'd require wheelchair access. The building is Georgian with stone steps, not suitable for a ramp. It's sad, but right to state that not every building will be accessible for wheelchair users. They will just have to book elsewhere that's suitable.

The bus ramps are here at last! Well done Barbara, Alan and their fellow Rights Protestors.

This movie was so entertaining and informative for me to watch as an American with a disability. While focusing on Alan Holdsworth and Barbara. Lisicki's story as disabled performers, it also was informative about the disability civil rights movement in England. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up, and I can't wait for it to be more readily available to us in the US.